Key Problems Concerning Physical Activity, Health, and the Body

CONTEMPORARY CONSTRUCTIONS OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Name
Affiliation
Course
Due Date
1.0 Introduction
Digital health and fitness technologies are a growing trend in contemporary western societies, where there is a strong preoccupation with health, fitness, and weight. These technologies range from wearable devices like fitness trackers to weight loss apps and telemedicine platforms that are designed to provide users with real-time feedback on their physical activity levels and to motivate them to be more active (Becker et al. 2014). However, this trend also reflects the modern cultural and social environment that promotes weight gain and obesity, known as an 'obesogenic culture' (Campos 2004). Wearable technologies are often marketed with a strong emphasis on weight loss and on individual responsibility for one's health, perpetuating societal norms and expectations of the "ideal" body and physical activity levels. Moreover, these technologies also create inequalities in terms of accessibility and affordability, and they contribute to the medicalization of weight, which can lead to the stigmatization of people who are overweight or obese. Therefore, it's important to analyze the role of digital health and fitness technologies in the current obesogenic culture and to consider alternative frameworks for health that promote equity and accessibility.
One example of a digital health and fitness technology that reflects this preoccupation is the weight loss app. These apps typically offer a range of features such as tracking food intake, recording exercise, and providing feedback. They are often marketed with a focus on weight loss and individual responsibility for one's health. In this paper, weight loss apps shall be analyzed in the view of neoliberalism and Foucault's theory of surveillance and discipline to identify the problems associated with their presence in society. Alternative frameworks that should be used to replace the current obesogenic culture shall be proposed.
2.0 Neoliberalism and Proliferation of Obesogenic Culture
Neoliberalism is a social, political, and economic rationality that emphasizes the importance of free markets and individualism, and minimizes the role of the state in economic and social affairs (Andrew and Silk, 2018). This ideology has had a profound impact on the way that health and well-being are understood and addressed in contemporary Western societies, and is closely related to the obesogenic culture.
Notably, neoliberalism has advanced the proliferation of obesogenic culture in several ways. First, neoliberalism often involves cutting government spending on social programs, including programs designed to promote health and well-being. Reduced government spending results in reduced access to resources and opportunities that promote health and well-being, particularly for individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds (Vallier 2021). Second, the advancement of neoliberal ideals results in the placement of responsibility for health and well-being on the individual, rather than the state or society (Ganti 2014). The shift can create an environment where individuals feel they are responsible for their health and are less likely to rely on government-funded programs or se...